Thursday, February 26, 2009

Designer’s Portfolio, Hair, Magazines and Saladino!

I’d like to share a few finds with you that you might find pretty interesting, or at least new and exciting!

First of all…. HGTV has a feature called Designer's Portfolio, where they feature over 2,000 spaces from HGTV’s professional designers. It’s fun to look around and see how the pros do it. Here is a sampling…

This colors in this Master Bedroom are wonderful! The mossy green with the black is a big hit in my book because of it’s earthy and sharp at the same time. Love the striped wing chair. Designer Erin Valencich.

Candace Olson’s Master Bedroom make-over. Dreamy blues and beiges bring this room up to date. One of the things I love about this room are the side tables. I like different side tables, rather than matchy-matchy. That goes for lighting too on the side tables…. sometimes.

This modern kitchen remodel by Designer Aimee Kim pleases me because of the sparkle! The glass tiles, along with the stainless appliances gives this space a clean, professional feel. Love it!

I love all things Hawaiian… in fact I hope to one day own my own little bungalow on a beach someday in Wailea, Maui (if any of you out there know of a great deal… let me know!). So, it goes without saying that this room speaks to me… the art panel behind the bed, the wood tones used in the room, the Hawaiian prints used on the wall and in the fabrics, all make this room scream Aloha!

O.K…. onto the next great find. .. this one isn’t design related, but it’s such great news, I had to share it with you…

I have really, really curly hair… like Shirley Temple curly hair! All my life, I’ve fought these curls, but finally succumbed to living with them sometime about 10 years ago, when I realized I wasn’t going to change anything!

So, you can imagine my mission to find good hair products. I’ve been using a hair product called Wen from Chaz Dean for quite awhile now. I first saw it on one of those info-mercials and was hooked. Damn those actors! But, I have to say, that I was quite impressed with the product.

You see, I’m a bit of a proponent of organic products. Not a lot of people know that most shampoos have a product in it called sodium laureth sulfates (SLS), which is a detergent and surfactant found in most shampoos, soaps and toothpastes.

The problem is that these SLS’s have been known to cause canker sores, and if ingested into the body/skin/mouth in large amounts over a long period of time, may cause cancer. There are people who agree and disagree on this one… but why chance it?

Wen is free from these SLS’s. And, up until yesterday, I thought Wen was only available through their website. Additionally, you had to sign up for a service, which would require delivery of their products to you on a regular basis, whether you needed them or not. Thanks to my friend, Nora, I now know that Wen is available on Amazon.com! And you can buy the products separately!

I use Wen mainly as a conditioner, not a shampoo. It’s one of those all-in-one products and I LOVE IT!!!!

Next…I’ve just picked up my first copy of a great new shelter magazine called Loft Life Magazine. It’s been out for a few months, but it’s new to me. It’s a wonderful magazine, filled with an eclectic mix of articles, green design, and new design finds all with a funky urban feel. I really like the magazine and you might too!

Article: Viva La France Street

The photography is hip and edgy and even the paper that the magazine is printed on feels different from your typical magazine… a bit heavier.

The subscription is only $12.00 for 6 issues. Quite the bargain I think.

And for you John Saladino fans, he has a new design book coming out on March 1, called Saladino Villa, where he tells the story through word and picture of his revival of a stone ruin in Southern California that he fashioned into his dream home over 5 years of painstaking attention to detail.

Anyone familiar with John Saladino will know that this book will be fabulous. This is a man who knew what he wanted to do in life… even visiting Villa Rotunda when he was 19 to check out the architecture! His work is beautiful and I can’t wait to read his new book and take in what might become my newest design bible!

I agree with you- interesting choice to make the bedroom elevation symetrical except for the side tables & lamps. I think I would like two of the right lamps, the shades compliment the curtains well. I like the color combo on the first image as well.

Thanks for the tip on Loft Life Mag - will have to check it out. Thank Goodness, somebody's trying to fill our shelter mag void - sheesh!Have a wonderful weekend in Sonoma (yes, that color on my face is typically known as pea green ;)

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